It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this division, to do all of the following:
- (a) Encourage voluntary, long-term private stewardship of agricultural lands by offering landowners financial incentives.
- (b) Protect farming and ranching operations in agricultural areas from nonfarm or nonranch land uses that may hinder and curtail farming or ranching operations.
- (c) Encourage long-term conservation of productive agricultural lands in order to protect the agricultural economy of rural communities, as well as that of the state, for future generations of Californians.
- (d) Encourage local land use planning for orderly and efficient urban growth and conservation of agricultural land.
- (e) Encourage local land use planning decisions that are consistent with the state’s policies with regard to agricultural land conservation.
- (f) Encourage improvements to enhance long-term sustainable agricultural uses.